1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to ceramic composite bodies having one or more shaped cavities therein and to methods of making the same. In particular, the invention relates to ceramic composite bodies comprising a polycrystalline matrix embedding a filler and having at least one cavity of selected geometry formed therein, and to methods of making the composites by infiltrating a bed of filler with the oxidation reaction product of a parent metal preshaped as a positive mold which is inversely replicated to form the cavity of the ceramic composite.
2. Description of Commonly Owned Patent Applications
The subject matter of this application is related to that of copending and Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,375, which issued on Jul. 25, 1989, from U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 819,397, filed Jan. 17, 1986, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 697,876, filed Feb. 4, 1985, both in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Composite Ceramic Articles and Methods of Making Same." These copending applications and patents disclose a novel method for producing a self-supporting ceramic composite by growing an oxidation reaction product from a parent metal into a permeable mass of filler. The resulting composite, however, has no defined or predetermined configuration.
The method of growing a ceramic product by an oxidation reaction is disclosed generically in Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,360 which issued on Dec. 15, 1987 and was based on U.S. applications Ser. No. 818,943, filed Jan. 15, 1986 as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 776,964, filed Sep. 17, 1985, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 705,787, filed Feb. 26, 1985, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 591,392, filed Mar. 16, 1984, all in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Novel Ceramic Materials and Methods of Making The Same." The employment of an unusual oxidation phenomenon as described in the aforesaid Commonly Owned patent applications and patent, which may be enhanced by the use of an alloyed dopant, affords self-supporting ceramic bodies grown as the oxidation reaction product from a precursor parent metal and a method of making the same. The method was improved upon by the use of external dopants applied to the surface of the precursor parent metal as disclosed in Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,352, which issued on Aug. 1, 1989, from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 220,935, filed on Jun. 23, 1988, as a continuation of U.S. applications Ser. No. 822,999, filed Jan. 27, 1986, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 776,965, filed Sep. 17, 1985, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 747,788, filed Jun. 25, 1985, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 632,636, filed Jul. 20, 1984, all in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Methods of Making Self-Supporting Ceramic Materials".
The entire disclosures of each of the foregoing Commonly Owned patent applications and patents are expressly incorporated herein by reference.